Analysis of Dongba Pictographs and Its Application to Pictogram Design

Zhen ZHOU

Abstract

I present my research developing new pictogram design methods based on the formative methods of Dongba pictographs, for the purpose of developing understandable, systematic and interesting pictograms. I studied and analyzed the formative methods of Dongba pictographs and extracted a set of new pictogram design methods. To test the feasibility of the proposed pictogram design methods, I designed some pictograms for Traditional Chinese Medicine through each method and administered a questionnaire to test the readability of these pictograms.